ISU Hosts Annual JumpStart Competition for High School Students

Idaho State University College of Technology hosted the annual JumpStart Competition for high school students on February 16. With 65 competitors from 10 different schools across Idaho, Oregon and Utah, the contest served to showcase the best young automotive and diesel talent in the region.

"The JumpStart Competition provides an opportunity for future automotive technicians to test their skills against other high school students in a state-of-the-art facility that features the latest technology" said Dave Treasure, Chair of the College of Technology's Trade & Industrial Department.

The event was held at ISU’s William M. and Karin A. Eames Advanced Technical Education and Innovation Complex. High school students were divided into two groups where they took turns completing a written exam and testing their hands-on knowledge at 17 different stations. Stations included identifying mechanical parts, diagnosing electrical systems, diesel engine valve adjustments and more.

Students in ISU’s Automotive Technology and Diesel/On-Site Power Generation Technology programs acted as judges, overseeing the various stations set up for the high school competitors.

“By grading and judging the high school students, our students at the College of Technology can see the other side of the learning process,” said Brock Gunter, program coordinator for the ISU College of Technology’s Automotive Technology Program. “This competition also gives our students a better idea of what to expect when they go before judges at the college level of the SkillsUSA competition.”

In addition to helping teams determine who will go on to represent their schools at the upcoming SkillsUSA state competition, winners of the event also received tools and equipment provided by Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Western State Equipment Company, Titan Machinery and the ISU Skills Club.

The winners are as follows:

Automotive Technology

• 1st Place – Jackson Hobson, Cassia Regional Technical Center (Burley, ID)
• 2nd Place – Brennen Andersen, Rigby High School (Rigby, ID)
• 3rd Place – Coy Schaffeld, Vale High School (Vale, OR)
• 4th Place – JT Morgan, Blackfoot High School (Blackfoot, ID)

Diesel/On-Site Power Generation Technology

• 1st Place – Carson Dayton, Vale High School (Vale, OR)
• 2nd Place – Kelton Hanks, Cassia Regional Technical Center (Burley, ID)
• 3rd Place – Steven Colyer, Vale High School (Vale, OR)
• 4th Place (Tie) – Turner Webb, Technical Careers High School (Idaho Falls, ID) and Kenton Towsley, Cassia Regional Technical Center (Burley, ID)

For more information or any questions about the JumpStart Competition, please contact the ISU College of Technology at (208) 282-2800.